The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team successfully completed a one-day test at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. Maria Herrera set the fastest overall time in the official WorldWCR test, while young teammate Natalia Rivera secured a top-10 result and gathered valuable data ahead of the race weekend.
Reigning World Champion Herrera and 19-year-old Rivera completed six 25-minute sessions in favorable weather conditions, allowing both riders to log consistent laps in preparation for the opening round of the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship, which will take place at the same circuit.
Herrera was consistently fast throughout the day, showing strong pace on both new and used tyres. Focused on race simulation, she completed a total of 66 laps, setting a best time of 1:52.782. She topped the combined standings by a margin of 0.6 seconds, heading into the race weekend with high confidence.
Rivera also had a productive day, improving her feeling with the bike and building pace ahead of the first round of the 2026 season. The young Spaniard completed 68 laps, focusing on long-run performance while still finishing inside the top 10 overall with a best lap of 1’55.755. The team gathered valuable data to further refine their setup for the race weekend.
Both riders and the team will now take a short break before returning to action at the same venue, where the 2026 season kicks off from March 27–29.
Maria Herrera: P1 (1’52.782)
“It’s a great feeling to be back competing, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start ahead of the season opener. Testing here in Portugal, at the same track where we’ll race in a few days, has been very useful. The dry weather conditions allowed us to complete many laps and make steady progress. Overall, we improved throughout the day and did a solid job preparing for the race weekend. There’s still room for improvement, so we’ll keep working, but we can be satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far. Let’s stay confident and positive heading into the first round.”
Nel complesso abbiamo fatto progressi durante tutta la giornata e svolto un buon lavoro in preparazione del weekend. C’è ancora margine di miglioramento, quindi continueremo a lavorare, ma possiamo essere soddisfatti. Restiamo fiduciosi e positivi per l’inizio della stagione.”
Natalia Rivera: P10 (1’55.755)
“It feels great to be back racing, and I was really excited to get back on the Yamaha R7 with the team. It’s been a productive test here in Portugal, and it was important to ride the race bike just before the weekend to prepare properly. We had good weather, which allowed us to complete many laps and gather useful data. I think we’ve done a good job so far. There’s still room to improve, so we’ll stay focused, keep working, and aim to make further progress.
